Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 September 2025 to Question 76091 on Defence: Plymouth and Yorkshire, what consultation with local hon. Members in the five areas took place; and what impact this consultation had upon the decision to award deals to the areas.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Prior to the launch of the Defence Industrial Strategy, the Department conducted a public consultation with over 200 responses. There was not a specific consultation directed at MPs in specific Defence Growth Deal areas, in part because work is still ongoing to establish the precise focus and scope of these areas. Significant engagement is taking place with devolved and Local Governments, and we will continue to work with key stakeholders to ensure these deals drive growth in their respective areas.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of how many arrestees waived their right to make no comment during police interviews in the latest period for which data is available.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not collect information on the content of police interviews, including whether suspects waive their right to make no comment during police interviews. This information may be held by individual police forces.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests by police. The most recent publication relating to arrest statistics can be found at the link below:

Stop and search, arrests and mental health detentions, March 2024 - GOV.UK

The Home Office takes a judicious approach to the collection of data from police in order to avoid disproportionate burdens on forces. More information on the Annual Data Requirement is available at the following link:

Home Office Annual Data Requirement (ADR) data – Privacy Information Notice - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of student loan interest rates on the total repayment amount for graduates earning below the repayment threshold.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Student loans are subject to interest so that those who can afford to do so contribute to the full cost of their degree.

Interest rates on student loans do not affect monthly repayments made by borrowers. Regulated repayments are linked to income not to interest rates or the loan balance. Borrowers will be liable to repay at a fixed percentage of earnings above the applicable student loan repayment threshold. Those earning below the student loan repayment threshold repay nothing. Outstanding debt, including interest built up, is written off after the loan term ends, or in case of death or disability, at no detriment to the borrower.

A full equality impact assessment of how the student loan reforms may affect graduates, including detail on changes to average lifetime repayments under Plan 2 and Plan 5, was produced and published under the previous government in February 2022 and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reform-equality-impact-assessment.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of pre-examination checklists on the time taken to (a) examine and (b) adopt local plans.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government is committed to achieving a more efficient and consistent local plan examination process. The pre-examination checklist was introduced this month to assist Local Planning Authorities in identifying and resolving potential problems with emerging plans at an earlier stage. This reduces the risk of protracted examinations that result in local plans that cannot be adopted because they cannot be found sound.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many railway stations will receive additional funding to improve CCTV in Fylde constituency.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport recently announced just under £17 million investment to better connect CCTV at train stations, enabling greater real-time access for police to accelerate investigations and help passengers feel safer. We are in the planning phase of the project, with funding not due to be allocated until 2026/27. The project will initially connect the cameras at the stations with the highest footfall, before being expanded to other stations so that 98 per cent of passenger footfall is captured.

Northern Trains Limited, who operate trains in Fylde, have also recently updated their CCTV strategy as part of their broader plans to improve accessibility across its network. This strategy covers CCTV maintenance, renewals and enhancements.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of new housing developments had a Section 38 agreement in place at the start of construction in each of the last five years; and what enforcement measures are in place for developers who do not fulfil the terms of such agreements.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Under Section 38 of the Highways Act 1980, developers may enter into agreements with local highway authorities to enable the adoption of new roads. Each authority applies its own procedures and fees, and there is currently no national system to track these agreements or link them to housing developments. Authorities may refuse adoption if roads are not built to the required standard, ensuring that the cost of remedial work does not fall on the public purse. Many authorities also require financial bonds to safeguard completion if a developer defaults. The Department is aware of a decline in road adoption rates across England and is actively investigating the issue to identify potential improvements.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what metrics his Department uses to measure the success of Jobcentre Plus services for people already in work.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, the Government is committed to building an inclusive and thriving labour market where everyone has the opportunity of good work, and the chance to get on in work.

DWP uses a combination of qualitative data, including a formal, externally commissioned evaluation and internal insights, and quantitative information including HMRC earnings data, to assess the quality of work coach interactions with claimants and claimants’ progress towards higher paid, higher quality and more productive work.  We intend to publish the externally commissioned evaluation of the in-work progression voluntary offer and research with claimants impacted by changes to the Administrative Earnings Threshold, in early 2026.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department will take steps to provide (a) financial support and (b) incentives for (i) developers and (ii) households to install water-saving devices.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government works with Ofwat who offer financial environmental incentives for developers to meet certain water efficiency standards.

On 23 September we launched a consultation to consider tighter water efficiency standards for new homes in the Building Regulations. We are working with Ofwat to ensure that environmental incentives in the future align with the ambition set out in this consultation and are considering how we can support developers as part of the £25 million fund held by Ofwat to fund a Water Efficiency Lab which aims to encourage innovation across the sector and is from November focusing on actionable insights for consumers.

To support households to reduce their water usage we are rolling out mandatory water efficiency label to ensure consumers can make informed decisions on their purchases, this will align with existing incentives for consumers to install water saving devices including free devices from water companies and the incoming £100 million Water Efficiency Campaign from Ofwat.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many companies subject to investigation for Bounce Back Loans fraud have been prevented from dissolving in (a) Lancashire and (b) Fylde constituency in the last 12 months.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

This information is not centrally held by the Department for Business and Trade.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding his Department has allocated to the new single living accommodation block at Weeton Barracks.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

A new Single Living Accommodation project is underway at Weeton Barracks, where contractual costs are approximately £15 million.

The project will provide a modern, sustainable building with 69 bed spaces. The building is due to be completed in December 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential contribution of the BAE Systems site at Warton to the delivery of the Future Combat Air Systems; and what proportion of FCAS-related research and development and production work is expected to take place in Lancashire.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

BAE Systems is a prime contributor to the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme, and the Warton site plays a central role in the development of advanced technologies, systems integration, and digital engineering as part of Team Tempest.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to ensure that victims are (a) informed and (b) consulted about offenders who partake in chemical suppression programmes.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Medication to Manage Problematic Sexual Arousal (MMPSA) is a pharmaceutical intervention for offenders with ongoing clinical needs who may continue to pose a risk of harm to others because their sexual offending behaviour is driven by obsessive thoughts about sex and display compulsive sexual behaviour.

As MMPSA is a medication prescribed by clinicians according to the health needs of individuals, it would be inappropriate to share personal medical information on treatment with victims in accordance with medical confidentiality.

Eligible victims, including those of serious sexual offences, are supported through the Victim Contact Scheme where Victim Liaison Officers will offer tailored guidance, keep victims informed where appropriate, and help them navigate the parole process. Victims are entitled to measures such as being able to request a summary of a Parole Boards decision, and request additional conditions to an offender’s license in relation to themselves. These services are designed to ensure victims feel heard and supported, while also helping to maintain trust in the system.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has conducted recent test firings of the Spearfish torpedo in UK waters.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence has made significant progress in implementing the Spearfish Upgrade Programme, focusing on enhancing the capabilities of the Spearfish torpedo system to meet evolving defence requirements. The integration of the Spearfish MOD 1 torpedo with the submarine's combat system has been demonstrated through in-water firings.

The most recent test firing of the Spearfish torpedo took place in June 2025 at the British Underwater Test and Evaluation Centre (BUTEC).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timeline is for the full weapons fit of the Type 26 frigate to become operational.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Type 26 programme remains on track to meet all user requirements and deliver world-class anti-submarine warfare frigates.

T26 will be fitted with the Mk41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) and there will be options for spiral development of weapon systems throughout the ships’ life. The first T26 frigate is expected to enter service from 2028.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2025 to Question 24721 on Dental Services: Lancashire, what recent progress he has made on delivering 700,000 additional dental appointments.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We have asked the integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available from April 2025.

Appointments are available across the country, with specific expectations for each region. These appointments are more heavily weighted towards those areas where they are needed most. The Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB is expected to deliver 20,822 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the ceremonies undertaken during the state visit by President Trump on economic growth.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

During the state visit, we announced a record-breaking £150 billion of inward investment from US firms into the UK economy – supporting 7,600 jobs in all areas of the UK which will drive economic growth and create real opportunities for working people.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how the newly established Office of Defence Exports will measure success; and what target increase in export orders is expected in the next (a) five and (b) 10 years.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 September 2025 to Question 76093. Design work for the Office of Defence Exports is well underway. Initial stand up continues at pace, with full implementation - including the development of performance measures - continuing over the next 12 months.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the level of uptake of (a) flu, (b) RSV and (c) whooping cough vaccinations among pregnant women in Fylde constituency in the last 12 months.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) routinely monitors and reviews vaccination coverage of all routine immunisation programmes in England. UKHSA does not collect or publish data at constituency level and is therefore unable to provide these data. UKHSA publishes data for uptake of influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and pertussis vaccinations for England at national and NHS commissioning region level. For pertussis and influenza, data are published by integrated care board level for Lancashire and South Cumbria.

Flu vaccine uptake for pregnant women in Lancashire and South Cumbria integrated care board was 31.4% during the 2024 to 2025 flu season.

RSV vaccine uptake for pregnant women is published for England at a national and NHS commissioning region level only. Uptake for women in the North-West region was 53.2%. The latest assessment for women delivering in May 2025 is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rsv-maternal-vaccination-coverage-in-england

Pertussis vaccine uptake for pregnant women is published for England at a national and NHS commissioning region level only. Uptake for women in the North-West region was 66.2% and in Lancashire and South Cumbria integrated care board was 62.1%.

The latest assessment for women delivering in June 2025 is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pertussis-immunisation-in-pregnancy-vaccine-coverage-estimates-in-england-october-2013-to-march-2014/prenatal-pertussis-vaccination-coverage-in-england-from-april-to-june-2025

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Children and Young People’s Continuing Care framework in meeting the needs of eligible (a) children and (b) families.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Framework for Children and Young People’s Continuing Care, published by the then Department of Health, now the Department of Health and Social Care, in January 2016, is intended to support good practice locally, providing guidance for integrated care boards (ICBs) and local authorities on the process for assessing, deciding, and agreeing packages of care for children and young people.

ICBs are responsible for the provision and commissioning of services to meet the needs of their local populations. NHS England collects Children and Young People’s Continuing Care activity data as part of the All-age Continuing Care Patient Level Dataset, which launched on 1 April 2025, and which is committed to supporting ICBs in implementing the National Framework for Children and Young People’s Continuing Care.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with local councils to help (a) prevent over-licensing and (b) to maintain (i) quality and (ii) safety standards for private hire vehicle drivers.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Government is responsible for setting the regulatory structure within which licensing authorities in England administer the taxi and private hire vehicle licensing regime. All applicants for a taxi or private hire vehicle driver’s licence must be deemed fit and proper to hold one. Under this system licensing authorities have the flexibility to set the standards they consider are appropriate. The Department for Transport issues statutory and best practice guidance to assist licensing authorities with this function, to promote safe and accessible services through proportionate regulation.

As recommended in the statutory guidance, all taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities in England have advised the Department that for drivers they require the highest level of vetting available, an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and a check of both the children’s and adults’ Barred Lists. The statutory guidance recommends that a licensing authority’s test of a driver’s language proficiency should cover both oral and written English language skills. This is so drivers can understand policies and guidance related to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults and can apply them to identify and act on signs of exploitation.

The best practice guidance recommends that licensing authorities should require taxi and private hire vehicle drivers to undertake training and/or assessment focussed on driver attitudes and behaviours. Where an authority has specific concerns about the driving ability of a driver, for example through passenger complaints, it would be appropriate for the authority to consider whether the driver in question should undertake a practical driving ability training course or assessment to address those concerns.

The Department for Transport will legislate to tackle inconsistent standards of taxi and private hire vehicle driver licensing more broadly. We are considering all options including out of area working, national standards and enforcement – seeking the best overall outcomes for passenger safety. In the interim the Department is reviewing licensing authorities’ compliance with existing guidance and determining how the statutory guidance on protecting children and vulnerable adults can be strengthened to further protect the public.

A consultation on making all local transport authorities responsible for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing, which would increase consistency in licensing and make better use of enforcement powers, will be launched shortly.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that all private hire vehicle drivers meet minimum (a) driving and(b) language proficiency standards.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Government is responsible for setting the regulatory structure within which licensing authorities in England administer the taxi and private hire vehicle licensing regime. All applicants for a taxi or private hire vehicle driver’s licence must be deemed fit and proper to hold one. Under this system licensing authorities have the flexibility to set the standards they consider are appropriate. The Department for Transport issues statutory and best practice guidance to assist licensing authorities with this function, to promote safe and accessible services through proportionate regulation.

As recommended in the statutory guidance, all taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities in England have advised the Department that for drivers they require the highest level of vetting available, an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and a check of both the children’s and adults’ Barred Lists. The statutory guidance recommends that a licensing authority’s test of a driver’s language proficiency should cover both oral and written English language skills. This is so drivers can understand policies and guidance related to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults and can apply them to identify and act on signs of exploitation.

The best practice guidance recommends that licensing authorities should require taxi and private hire vehicle drivers to undertake training and/or assessment focussed on driver attitudes and behaviours. Where an authority has specific concerns about the driving ability of a driver, for example through passenger complaints, it would be appropriate for the authority to consider whether the driver in question should undertake a practical driving ability training course or assessment to address those concerns.

The Department for Transport will legislate to tackle inconsistent standards of taxi and private hire vehicle driver licensing more broadly. We are considering all options including out of area working, national standards and enforcement – seeking the best overall outcomes for passenger safety. In the interim the Department is reviewing licensing authorities’ compliance with existing guidance and determining how the statutory guidance on protecting children and vulnerable adults can be strengthened to further protect the public.

A consultation on making all local transport authorities responsible for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing, which would increase consistency in licensing and make better use of enforcement powers, will be launched shortly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that all pregnant women are routinely offered the whooping cough vaccine between 20 and 32 weeks of pregnancy.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is working with NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency to encourage high uptake of all immunisations, including in underserved communities and in groups with historically lower vaccination rates.

Significant efforts have been made to raise awareness of the importance of vaccination to protect babies against whooping cough, also known as pertussis. These include targeted campaigns using social media, digital screen graphics, and community outreach. The National Health Service actively promotes vaccination for pregnant women to protect their newborns, and efforts are underway to enhance the recording and monitoring of vaccinations, ensuring accurate data collection to assess the programme’s effectiveness.

Recent data shows maternal pertussis vaccination coverage from April 2025 to June 2025 was 71.2%, which was 11.6 percentage points higher than the period from April 2024 to June 2024.

However, there is more to do to stabilise and improve uptake, and that is why we have set out actions to improve uptake in our 10-Year Health Plan for England. Putting our plans into action, we have recently launched a campaign to promote awareness and confidence in vaccination, including for pregnant women, which will run throughout the year. To improve accessibility, community pharmacies in areas of high deprivation and low uptake are now also commissioned to offer some vaccinations, making it more convenient for individuals to get vaccinated.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the performance of the Sea Ceptor system during recent naval (a) exercises and (b) deployments.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The SEA CEPTOR system delivers Local Air Defence capability against complex air threats both now and into the future. SEA CEPTOR is already in service on the Type 23 frigates and will be installed on the Type 26 and 31 classes. All six Type 45 destroyers are adding the SEA CEPTOR system to their arsenal.

The Ministry of Defence does not comment on effectiveness of weapon systems but I can reassure the hon. Member that we would not install weapon systems on our Royal Navy ships if they were not effective.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has made of whether there are (a) regional and (b) other geographic trends in the number of suspected cloned number plate reports between 2020 and 2024.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

It is an offence to use a vehicle displaying cloned number plates which is punishable by an unlimited fine and/or up to two years in prison.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of cloned number plates. The evidence being gathered will be considered when evaluating potential future action to help address this important issue.

It is important to note that not every case of a misidentified registration number will be a case of cloned number plates. While some reports may relate to cloned number plates, others may be the result of administrative errors, for example incorrect entry of registration numbers.

Anyone who thinks their number plate may have been cloned should contact the police immediately and return any fines received to the issuing authorities. If there is a possibility that the number plate has been cloned, the DVLA can provide customers with letters that can be used as supporting evidence and can also provide a replacement vehicle registration number.

Information on the suspected number of cloned number plates is not available by region or geographic location.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the trend in the number of reports of suspected number plate (a) cloning and (b) misidentification.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

It is an offence to use a vehicle displaying cloned number plates which is punishable by an unlimited fine and/or up to two years in prison.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of cloned number plates. The evidence being gathered will be considered when evaluating potential future action to help address this important issue.

It is important to note that not every case of a misidentified registration number will be a case of cloned number plates. While some reports may relate to cloned number plates, others may be the result of administrative errors, for example incorrect entry of registration numbers.

Anyone who thinks their number plate may have been cloned should contact the police immediately and return any fines received to the issuing authorities. If there is a possibility that the number plate has been cloned, the DVLA can provide customers with letters that can be used as supporting evidence and can also provide a replacement vehicle registration number.

Information on the suspected number of cloned number plates is not available by region or geographic location.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has had recent discussions with Ofcom on (a) charges and (b) penalties for mobile users changing provider.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Government engages with Ofcom, the independent regulator for communication services, regularly on relevant consumer issues. Under Ofcom’s General Conditions, providers must not impose undue barriers to switching. Consumers can also switch mobile networks via text message.

Ofcom’s rules also require providers to ensure switching is authorised and transparent. These protections aim to support consumer choice and competition.

DSIT continues to monitor market practices and supports Ofcom’s role in enforcing fair and accessible switching processes across the communications sector.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the proposed digital ID cards will be considered valid ID to vote at polling stations.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Once the new Digital Credential is available, we intend to add it to the list of accepted forms of ID for use in voting in elections. We will confirm the details of this closer to the launch of the new digital credential when further development has been completed.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help support small and medium-sized enterprises to meet data protection obligations.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 included several provisions aimed at simplifying the data protection legislation to make it easier to navigate for organisations of all sizes. We are working to commence the measures in the months ahead.

The ICO is the statutory authority responsible for supporting organisations to comply with their obligations under the data protection legislation. To help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) comply, the ICO provides a wide range of practical resources on its website. These include guidance on lawful data processing, templates for privacy notices, checklists for compliance, and self-assessment tools.

As part of the ICO’s growth commitments announced in March 2025, the ICO will also launch later this year its SME Data Essentials programme, offering free training to small businesses on compliance with data protection legislation. This will strengthen compliance and reduce costs, enabling SMEs to grow their businesses while building greater trust with customers.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many organisations have been investigated by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for breaches of data protection law in each of the last three years.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Over the past two years, in relation to data breaches of data protection law, the ICO took informal action on 12,496 occasions, initiated 452 investigations, and issued two formal regulatory actions in response to personal data breaches. For data protection complaints, which may also be related to data breaches, the ICO took informal action on 14,064 occasions, identified 7,518 infringements, initiated nine formal investigations, and issued five formal regulatory actions. Figures are based on closed cases and retained for two years in line with ICO’s data retention policy, which allows the ICO to retain data for statistical purposes for two years.

The ICO publish actions taken on its website, including monetary penalties, enforcement notices, undertakings, prosecutions and reprimands they have issued. Under the Data (Use and Access) Act (DUAA) 2025, the ICO must also produce an annual report to Parliament detailing its enforcement activities, strengthening transparency and accountability.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of gender disparities in the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of chronic urinary tract infections.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance on prevalence suggests urinary tract infections are more common in women than in men, with men estimated to account for around 20% of all occurrences. Further information on factors related to incidence including those specific to gender is available at the following link:

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/urinary-tract-infection-lower-men/background-information/prevalence/

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has issued or plans to issue updated guidance to local authorities on the use of road signage in known wildlife crossing areas.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Local authorities are responsible for placing traffic signs including signs warning of hazards due to the presence of animals in the road. All traffic signs used on public roads must comply with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 which includes a range of such signs for different situations.

The Department has issued guidance on the use of these signs, which can be placed in wildlife crossing areas, in Chapter 4 of the Traffic Signs Manual which is available here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/traffic-signs-manual

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help raise awareness among (a) general practitioners and (b) the public on the (i) signs and (ii) symptoms of aplastic anaemia.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community, which includes increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals. With over 7,000 rare diseases, it is not possible for healthcare professionals to receive comprehensive training on every condition. It is therefore important that they are aware of rare diseases more broadly and are alert to considering them. The 2025 England Rare Diseases Action Plan updates on progress to increase awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals. This includes launching new resources on the innovative digital educational resource GeNotes and developing a range of training and educational resources on rare diseases to include rare diseases in UK health professional education and training frameworks.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the availability of Jobcentre Plus services for people who are in work and seeking (a) alternative employment and (b) career progression.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, the Government is committed to building an inclusive and thriving labour market where everyone has the opportunity of good work, and the chance to get on in work.

Mandatory work coach support is available for UC claimants in employment with low earnings. UC claimants with employed earnings receive tailored support with their work coach every 8 weeks, which reflects their situation as employees. The work coach will support claimants with either career progression in their current employment or through taking steps to change careers to alternative employment with better prospects of long-term progression. For some claimants (England only), a work coach may also refer to a National Careers Adviser for more in-depth discussions about career information, advice, or guidance. For claimants with higher earnings, they may also seek work coach support on a voluntary basis.

The Jobs and Careers Service will support individuals including people in employment and not claiming benefits to make informed choices about their careers including helping them to boost their skills as well as helping them move into higher paid, higher quality and more productive work.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 September 2025 to Question 76091 on Defence: Plymouth and Yorkshire, what other regions were considered for initial Defence Growth Deals; and what criteria was used for selection.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Multiple regions across the United Kingdom were considered and assessed as potential recipients of the Defence Growth Deal. As mentioned in the previous response, the regions were assessed using the following criteria:

Defence Industrial Base and Ecosystem: The area's strategic importance to defence, including strengths in specific DIS sub-sectors. Strategic Location Alignment with existing Government regional growth initiatives. Growth Potential: Measures to boost local productivity (e.g., training, R&D) and the overall labour market.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisons in the North West the expanded pilot for the use of medication to manage problematic sexual arousal for sex offenders will operate in; what criteria he will use to select those prisons; and how many offenders will participate.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

As the Deputy Prime Minister announced on 16 September, the innovative feasibility pilot of Medication to Manage Problematic Sexual Arousal for sex offenders will be expanded to two new regions – the North West and North East of England. This will extend the service across to twenty prisons in three regions, up from the current four in the South West pilot.

Work is underway to establish these pilot services, which will include utilising learnings from the South West, to inform the appropriate prisons to begin the rollout in the North West. This will be based on relevant factors such as prison population composition and existing treatment pathways in place. This will allow us to expand the number of offenders eligible to receive this intervention, subject to clinical need, and determine which specific prisons will be part of the rollout.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department has issued on animal welfare regulations that apply to construction activity taking place on land where horses are kept.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the 2006 Act), it is an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare. The 2006 Act is backed up by the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids which provides guidance on the legal duty of care for horses, as required by the 2006 Act. This guidance applies to any land where horses are kept, including land affected by construction activity.

The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018 require businesses hiring out horses to provide for a suitable environment. The guidance is available here - Hiring out horses licensing: statutory guidance for local authorities - GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of protections for equine welfare in relation to (a) temporary and (b) permanent construction projects on (i) agricultural and (ii) pasture land in (A) the National Planning Policy Framework and (B) other national planning policies.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare. The Act is supported by the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids which provides guidance on the legal duty of care for horses. This guidance applies to any land where horses are kept, including land affected by construction activity.

Beyond these provisions for equine welfare, the National Planning Policy Framework sets out policy relating to the development of agricultural land. It makes clear that planning policies and decisions should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment by recognising the intrinsic beauty and character of the countryside, including the benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land. Where significant development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, areas of poorer quality land should be preferred to those of a higher quality.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent assessment she has made of the level of compliance by government departments with UK General Data Protection Regulation.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

All departments are controllers of the personal data they hold and are individually responsible for demonstrating compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation. Under the same legislation, all departments are required to appoint a data protection officer (DPO), who are responsible to measure compliance. Government is taking concrete action led by the Government Digital Service in DSIT working with the Government Security Group in the Cabinet Office and the National Cyber Security Centre to improve data protection across government in a broad range of areas, including strengthening policies and placing greater emphasis on handling personal data securely in our training and communications.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2025 to Question 75416 on Dangerous Dogs, if she will consider introducing an interim scheme until the withdrawal scheme is active.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We are currently working to develop a withdrawal scheme so that owners who no longer believe that their dog is an XL Bully can apply to have their certificate of exemption for their dog withdrawn. Information about this process will be available soon.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2025 to Question 75416 on Dangerous Dogs, when the withdrawal scheme will become active.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We are currently working to develop a withdrawal scheme so that owners who no longer believe that their dog is an XL Bully can apply to have their certificate of exemption for their dog withdrawn. Information about this process will be available soon.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many new businesses have registered in (a) England, (b) Lancashire and (c) Fylde constituency in each of the last five years.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 10th October is attached.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what requirements are in place for (a) airlines, (b) rail services, (c) buses and (d) other public transport operators to carry adrenaline auto-injectors.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are not any requirements for airlines, rail services, buses or public transport operators to carry adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs).

Guidance published in June 2023 by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency states that prescribers should prescribe two AAIs to make sure patients always have the second dose, and that those who are prescribed AAIs should always carry two AAIs at all times.

There are a number of implications that would need to be given careful consideration if AAIs were to be located in public places or placed on airlines, rail services, buses and other public transport operators. For example, we would need to consider the impacts on supplies of AAIs for patients who are prescribed them.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2025 to Question 79077 on Ethics and Integrity Commission, if he will set out the nature of the advice the Cabinet Office will provide to the Prime Minister before the establishment of a public inquiry; and whether that advice will be made public.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Advice will be tailored to the specifics of each case. Broadly, the Cabinet Office will provide advice on whether a proposed inquiry model and its terms of reference appear appropriate to investigate the particular matter in question. This will help ensure that the right response is taken and that we do not adopt approaches that would delay accountability to victims, survivors and their families.

In line with the longstanding approach across multiple administrations, confidential advice to Ministers will not be made public.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has issued guidance on ensuring the safety of horses in proximity to road or rail works conducted near grazing land.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport has produced no guidance in relation to the safety of animals on grazing land near to road or rail works. In relation to works carried out on public highways, the Department for Transport publishes statutory guidance in Safety at Street Works and Road Works: A Code of Practice, available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/safety-at-street-works-and-road-works. This includes specific provisions for equestrian routes and horse riders, where the works affect on-highway routes for these users.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2025 to Question 76390 on Road Adoption: Insolvency, whether the upcoming consultation will make an assessment of the potential merits of placing a statutory duty on developers or management companies to ensure transfer of ownership or maintenance responsibility in the event of insolvency.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 76390 on 19 September 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2025 to Question 76390 on Property Development: Insolvency, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of unadopted roads and common areas on the resale value of homes on estates where the developer has become insolvent.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 76390 on 19 September 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2025 to Question 76390 on Property Development: Insolvency, what steps his Department plans to take to support residents where the freehold estate management company has ceased to operate following developer insolvency.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 76390 on 19 September 2025.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of rent increases in agricultural tenancies on UK food production; and what support the Government is offering tenant farmers.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra monitors farm rents in England annually and the most recent farm rents data publication shows changes in farm rents per hectare vary according to the type of tenancy agreement, type of farmland and by location. A range of economic factors can affect UK food production including output prices, input costs, global trade, market demand and public support policies.

Schemes delivered under the farming budget are open to tenants to help them produce food and also deliver environmental benefits. The Government has appointed a Commissioner for the Tenant Farming Sector to support collaborative relationships across the tenanted sector.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the Commissioner for the Tenant Farming Sector will ensure that the voices of small-scale and marginal tenant farmers are represented in policy discussions and recommendations.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Commissioner will proactively engage across the sector as part of his wider role to gather intelligence and insights on how the sector operates within the Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Code of Practice for England. All tenant farmers and other parties to tenancy agreements can raise an enquiry, concern or issue with the Commissioner. The Commissioner will work closely with the joint Defra / industry Farm Tenancy Forum, including on trends and issues raised and provide insights on how to improve practice in the sector for industry and government to consider.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Malloy T-150 drones have been procured by his Department.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Royal Navy took delivery of 20 Malloy T-150 Drones in November 2024. In September 2025 the Royal Navy declared that they had been 'Released to Service' in accordance with Military Aviation Authority Regulations.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what criteria she plans to use to determine funding under the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund is open to bids from accredited museums, museum services and galleries in England that either hold at least one designated collection, or are current Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs).

Bids submitted for consideration must meet at least one of the following criteria:

1. Material improvements to the display and interpretation of collections, in permanent galleries, exhibition spaces and public spaces, to enhance visitor experience.

2. Improvements to access and/or interpretation for visitors with disabilities, for children and young people, and/or underrepresented audiences.

3. Improvements to environmental controls, collections storage and conservation facilities to enhance the care of collections.

Further balancing criteria and an outline of the assessment process can be found in the application guidance here.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when his Department will provide protective body armour to all prison officers working in (a) long‑term and (b) high‑security prisons.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has committed to delivering the Deputy Prime Minister's pledge to equip up to 10,000 staff with protective body armour (PBA). The provision of custom-made body armour to prison officers in the long-term and high-security estate (LTHSE) represents a significant undertaking. Our priority is to ensure we continue to provide the most appropriate and effective protective equipment, as swiftly as possible. We are currently preparing for further procurement and delivery into the long-term high security estate. This work is progressing at pace, and we expect to begin rollout across the estate during 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms exist for victims to challenge decisions on whether thresholds for anti-social behaviour case reviews are met.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office provides statutory guidance to support local agencies in the use of the powers and tools in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, including the ASB case review. The guidance makes clear how information should be shared between relevant agencies to ensure the effective operation of the case review. The guidance sets out that relevant agencies should develop agreements for information sharing, risk assessments and a common understanding of the aims of the ASB Case Review.

Victims can query decisions with the lead agency for the ASB case review where it has been decided that the threshold has not been met. Where the local council has led the review, victims may also submit a complaint to their using the councils’ formal complaints system. If exhausted or no response is received, victims can also contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are creating a new duty for police and crime commissioners (PCCs) to provide a route for victims to query decisions via their office. This includes victims being able to ask the PCC to review decisions made by the lead agency in an ASB case review where they have deemed that the threshold has not been met.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department provides to (a) councils, (b) police forces, (c) health boards, (d) housing providers and (e) other relevant local agencies on the of sharing information during anti-social behaviour case reviews.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office provides statutory guidance to support local agencies in the use of the powers and tools in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, including the ASB case review. The guidance makes clear how information should be shared between relevant agencies to ensure the effective operation of the case review. The guidance sets out that relevant agencies should develop agreements for information sharing, risk assessments and a common understanding of the aims of the ASB Case Review.

Victims can query decisions with the lead agency for the ASB case review where it has been decided that the threshold has not been met. Where the local council has led the review, victims may also submit a complaint to their using the councils’ formal complaints system. If exhausted or no response is received, victims can also contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are creating a new duty for police and crime commissioners (PCCs) to provide a route for victims to query decisions via their office. This includes victims being able to ask the PCC to review decisions made by the lead agency in an ASB case review where they have deemed that the threshold has not been met.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Written Statement of 13 October 2025 entitled Government of Service, HCWS939, what criteria will be used in the recruitment process for the three new independent members of the Ethics and Integrity Commission.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer the Honourable Member to the recruitment advert for the Ethics and Integrity Commission Independent Member roles which was published on Monday 13 October 2025. The full details, including the essential criteria, can be found on the public appointments website at: https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles/9003

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the average time to resolve a school complaint in (a) England, (b) Lancashire and (c) Fylde constituency.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The information requested is not held centrally.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department plans to take to help improve GCSE outcomes in (a) English and (b) maths for white working-class children.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

All children and young people should have every opportunity to succeed. However, the system is not working for all, including white working-class children, who are one of the biggest and lowest-performing groups.

This is unacceptable. The upcoming Schools White Paper will set out our vision for a school system that delivers educational excellence for all children, no matter their background.

The department is driving standards and outcomes through regional improvement for standards and excellence teams’ attainment conferences focused on disadvantage and the Maths Hubs programme, supported by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics. As part of a £2 million investment in reading and writing, secondary schools can access support to foster a strong whole-school reading culture, as well as the Unlocking Reading programme to boost the reading of pupils who need the most support, launching in January.

We will ensure future work to support white working-class children draws on evidence and expertise, including from the independent inquiry into white working-class educational outcomes.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools operate with a budget deficit in England.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The latest available figures show 96% of academy trusts and 85% of local authority maintained schools are in cumulative surplus or breaking even, with an overall cumulative surplus of almost £6.5 billion, compared to a cumulative deficit of £330 million. These figures relate to 31 August 2024 for academy trusts and 31 March 2024 for maintained schools.

In the 2023/24 financial year there were 1,745 local authority maintained schools in deficit and 341 academies were in trusts that had an overall deficit.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in England hold spare EpiPens for emergency use under the Human Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2017; and what steps her Department is taking to encourage greater uptake.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department does not hold the data requested.

We are working with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to consider how we might extend the availability of adrenaline auto-injectors in schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department provides to help maintain staffing levels in small rural schools in Fylde constituency.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

To ensure we have sufficient, high quality teachers, the department has increased the core schools budget by £3.7 billion in 2025/26, totalling £65.3 billion. This is alongside the near 10% pay award for teachers over the last two years to ensure teaching is once again a respected and attractive profession.

In addition to improved teacher pay, the department is also providing additional financial support for trainees and teachers. For 2025/26, we announced trainee teacher bursaries worth up to £29,000 and scholarships worth up to £31,000 tax-free. We are also offering a targeted retention incentive (TRI) worth up to £6,000 after tax for teachers of key subjects in the first five years of their careers who work in disadvantaged schools, including rural areas. Three schools in Fylde constituency are eligible for the TRI.

Our interventions are having impact with 2,346 more teachers across secondary and special schools in 2024/25. In Fylde, there were 14 more teachers in secondary and special schools. We are also helping schools recruit and retain support staff, with support staff numbers increasing by 42 to 668 in Fylde in 2024/25.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 September 2025 to Question 76091 on Defence: Plymouth and Yorkshire, whether his Department conducted a public consultation or engaged with local stakeholders before selecting the initial five regions.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Prior to the launch of the Defence Industrial Strategy, the Department conducted a public consultation with over 200 responses and there was significant engagement and collaboration between local and national government officials to identify and develop specific proposals for each nation and region.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria his Department is using to evaluate (a) effectiveness and (b) value in the new NHS medical technology procurement model.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is developing Value Based Procurement Standard Guidance to improve the National Health Service’s consistency in the procurement of medical technology in England, shifting the focus from buying the cheapest to considering wider factors to ensure that taxpayer money delivers better outcomes for patients, staff, and the environment.

Procurement decisions will be based on a minimum of 60% weighting from five value domains, including the mandated minimum 10% on Social Value. The remaining 40% is a maximum weighting for Whole Life Cost. The guidance includes the choice of 21 questions across the five value domains. For example, where improvement to hospital productivity is assessed, real world evidence on the impact to the length of stay, procedure time, and/or readmission rates will be required.

The following 13 NHS trusts, covered by nine procurement teams, are piloting the guidance before national rollout across the NHS in England in early 2026:

• the Birmingham and Solihull Procurement Collaborative, which itself comprises of the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust; the Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust; the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; the Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; and the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust;
• the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust;
• the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust;
• the North Bristol NHS Trust;
• the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
• the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
• the South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
• the St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; and
• the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which 13 NHS Trusts have been selected to pilot the value-based procurement guidance.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is developing Value Based Procurement Standard Guidance to improve the National Health Service’s consistency in the procurement of medical technology in England, shifting the focus from buying the cheapest to considering wider factors to ensure that taxpayer money delivers better outcomes for patients, staff, and the environment.

Procurement decisions will be based on a minimum of 60% weighting from five value domains, including the mandated minimum 10% on Social Value. The remaining 40% is a maximum weighting for Whole Life Cost. The guidance includes the choice of 21 questions across the five value domains. For example, where improvement to hospital productivity is assessed, real world evidence on the impact to the length of stay, procedure time, and/or readmission rates will be required.

The following 13 NHS trusts, covered by nine procurement teams, are piloting the guidance before national rollout across the NHS in England in early 2026:

• the Birmingham and Solihull Procurement Collaborative, which itself comprises of the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust; the Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust; the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; the Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; and the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust;
• the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust;
• the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust;
• the North Bristol NHS Trust;
• the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
• the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
• the South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
• the St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; and
• the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Transport to provide effective (a) oversight and (b) enforcement of road adoption processes in new housing developments.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 80700 on 20 October 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that housing developers comply with statutory obligations to complete roads to an adoptable standard.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 80700 on 20 October 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Transport to help improve internet access across the rail network.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department has been successful in securing funding as part of the Spending Review to fit all mainline trains with Low Earth Orbit satellite technology to upgrade on -train wifi.

However, we know satellite connectivity will not work in tunnels, and the Department has been working with Network Rail to deliver improved connectivity on the rail network. Project Reach, which will renew fibre optic cables and address 4G / 5G mobile signals in 57 key mainline tunnels and stations, was signed 26 June 2025 between Network Rail, and telecoms companies, Neos Networks and Freshwave

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 September 2025 to Question 76091 on Defence: Plymouth and Yorkshire, when his Department plans to announce the next wave of regions eligible for Defence Growth Deals; and whether the same assessment criteria will apply.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Any additional Defence Growth Deals will be announced, should fiscal and economic circumstances permit in the next Parliament, the selection of eligible regions will be informedby the assessment criteria for Defence Growth Deals. This criteria will be robustly assessed against our ambitions set out in the plan for change to increase living standards in every region and nation in the UK and making Defence an Engine for Growth.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's press notice entitled Civil Service staff networks to only meet outside working hours and have all events signed off by senior managers, published on 23 September 2025, if he will set out the criteria used to determine whether a staff network event directly benefits an organisation.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

In circumstances where organisers believe that the event could be attended during working time, it will be for the Senior Civil Servant signing-off the event to determine whether it is directly related to a business outcome or individual learning and development. Where this is the case individuals would also need to obtain line manager approval before attending.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's press notice entitled Civil Service staff networks to only meet outside working hours and have all events signed off by senior managers, published on 23 September 2025, how many civil service staff network events were considered inappropriate in the 12 months prior to the issuance of the guidance on civil service staff networks.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office does not hold data relating to the number of events deemed inappropriate.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate she has made of the total value of funds likely to be recovered through the Voluntary repayment of Covid-19 funding scheme by 31 December 2025.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

This government is leaving no stone unturned to investigate and recover public funds lost to fraud and error during the pandemic - getting back what is owed to the British people.

At the recommendation of the Covid Counter Fraud Commissioner, the government launched the Voluntary Repayment Scheme on September 12th. The scheme is one element in a wider package of measures recommended by the Commissioner and will provide crucial learnings for his final report.

The Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) has not made an estimate of the value of funds likely to be recovered. The scheme is subject to uncertainty due to its novel nature, the time elapsed since the pandemic, and the time it takes for departments to report recovery success back to the PSFA. However, the PSFA will undertake a comprehensive assessment of the scheme’s impact once it’s concluded.

The scheme will continue to provide individuals who received money from COVID-19 support schemes which they did not need or were not eligible for, an opportunity to repay until December 2025, before the introduction of new investigatory powers in the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish an account of the total cost of the government reshuffle, listing totals for (a) redundancy payments, (b) severance payments, (c) relocation costs, and (d) administrative costs associated with ministerial changes.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Severance reform

This Government has reformed ministerial severance payments to ensure that payments are both proportionate and fair. Ministers are now expected to forgo their entitlement to a ministerial severance payment if they have served in office for less than six months or leave office following a serious breach of the Ministerial Code. Ministers who return to office within three months of leaving will be asked to forgo their salary until the end of that three-month period and ministers who have seriously breached the Business Appointment Rules will be expected to repay any severance payment received.

Severance payments

Details of severance payments received by ministers and special advisers are routinely published in the relevant department’s Annual Report and Accounts. Any severance costs associated with the September reshuffle will be included as part of the 2025-26 Annual Report and Accounts which will be published in late summer 2026.

Relocation costs

Relocation costs are not recorded by the Cabinet Office

Administrative costs

Any administrative costs associated with the reshuffle will be part of the costs of running the department and will not be published separately in the Annual Report and Accounts.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will set how the Public Sector Fraud Authority is working with local authorities to prevent fraud at the local level.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) works closely with local authorities to prevent fraud through the National Fraud Initiative (NFI), which is one of the PSFA’s key data and analytics services.

The NFI specialises in data matching, which involves comparing sets of data electronically, such as the council tax records of an authority, against other records held by the same or another authority, to see to what extent they match.

The NFI is vital in tackling fraud in local authority spending. This includes the removal of fraudsters from social housing properties, ensuring they go to those families in genuine need, and cracking down on blue badge fraud - of which 22,000 fraudulent permits were cancelled in the last year alone. It also has a strong record of delivering outcomes for local authorities. To date, the NFI has detected, prevented and recovered over £3bn in fraud and error.

The NFI is collaborating closely with local authorities to tackle fraud in other areas of local spending. For example, the introduction of the Legislative Reform (Disclosure of Adult Social Care Data) Order 2025, will once again ensure that fraud in adult social care spending can be identified and investigated by local authorities.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Record fraud crackdown saves half a billion for public services, published on 24 September 2025, if he will set out how the AI fraud prevention tool will be deployed across departments; and whether training will be provided to civil servants to use it.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Fraud Risk Assessment Accelerator is another example of how this government is staying one step ahead of fraudsters, making sure public funds are protected and used to deliver public services for those who need them most.

The Fraud Risk Assessment Accelerator is already being deployed and will be available to all departments by November, offering public bodies access to the latest AI advancements without the additional costs of building and hosting their own solutions.​

We've designed the tool with usability in mind. Users can upload schemes via a GOV.UK​-style frontend, and the AI will assess how fraudsters are likely to target them. The Public Sector Fraud Authority will also continue to provide user training to support wider adoption and usage across government.​

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to protect swans.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

In England all wild birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, including Swans. This makes it an offence to kill, injure or take wild birds and to take or damage their eggs and nests.

Defra supports the valuable work of the National Wildlife Crime Unit and is a principal funder. The unit helps to prevent and detect wildlife crime (including crimes against swans) by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, undertaking analysis, and directly assisting law enforcers in their investigations.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what criteria were used by his Department to select the chosen sites for the Great British Energy solar scheme.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Schools were selected by the Department for Education (DfE), primarily clustered in three areas of deprivation, with at least ten schools in each region to ensure geographical spread. Selection was based on criteria including levels of deprivation, available roof space, and location. Each cluster includes a further education college working with appointed contractors to promote careers in renewables and support workforce growth.

NHS sites were selected following an open invitation from NHS England for Trusts to submit expressions of interest. Projects were prioritised based on delivery confidence and expected economic and environmental impact. These are being managed through the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the number of clean energy jobs created by the Great British Energy solar programme to date.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Great British Energy Solar scheme is part of a wider initiative to deliver affordable, homegrown power and support clean energy job creation across the UK.

Backed by £255 million in government investment, GBE Solar is delivering rooftop solar to hundreds of schools, NHS trusts, and military sites, reducing energy bills and supporting public services, especially in deprived areas. While we are currently unable to estimate the number of jobs attributable to the scheme, GBE Solar is directly contributing to workforce growth in renewables and construction, including skilled roles in installation and maintenance, and is working with further education colleges to promote careers in clean energy.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) resources and (b) support her Department plans to provide to (i) public authorities and (ii) businesses to support compliance with the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Government is committed to providing dedicated guidance to support those responsible for qualifying premises and events to comply with the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act.

The Government has committed to an implementation period of at least 24 months, during which the Act requires the production of two separate pieces of guidance: statutory guidance for those responsible for premises and events in scope to understand how they might meet the requirements of the legislation; and operational guidance which will set out how the regulator will discharge its duties. These will be published in good time, ahead of commencement, to ensure that those in scope have the required information on what to do and how best to do it.

We are continuing to raise awareness through communications and engagement campaigns, helping people to understand the purpose of this legislation and how to meet these new requirements. The Government will continue to consider how and where it can otherwise support those in scope.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to conduct a post-implementation review of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill in consultation with stakeholders from the (a) events, (b) hospitality and (c) security sectors.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act, received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. The new Act will ensure the public are better protected from terrorism by requiring certain public premises and events to be prepared and ready to keep people safe in the event of an attack.

It is expected that the implementation period will be at least 24 months from April 2025, to allow for the set-up of the regulator (Security Industry Authority) and to ensure sufficient time for those responsible for premises and events in scope to understand their new obligations, and to plan and prepare accordingly.

As detailed in the Act’s Impact Assessment of July 2024, a post-implementation review (PIR) will be undertaken, which will assess whether the new Act delivers the Government’s policy objectives and as detailed in the Impact Assessment, this will include analysis of the costs and impacts on qualifying premises and events.

To support delivery of the PIR, the Government has developed a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Programme to: assess whether the Act is meeting its stated objectives; demonstrate its ongoing and long-term impact; evidence how it works in practice; and enhance ongoing delivery of supporting activities. This will incorporate all sectors in scope of the Act, including qualifying events and qualifying premises that amongst other criteria are used for one or more uses set out in Schedule 1, such as for entertainment and leisure, for retail or for visitor attractions. The M&E programme will continue throughout the Act’s implementation period and after commencement.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reopening the Poulton-le-Fylde to Fleetwood rail line.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Business case development from 2023 found a tram-train solution as the most promising option to connect Fleetwood and Poulton-le-Fylde, but it offered “poor” value for money. No further DfT funding has been prioritised in this Spending Review. It is now for Lancashire County Combined Authority to decide whether to prioritise further work.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many First Homes properties have been built; and how many are due to be built by 2030.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Up to March 2024, 395 First Homes have been delivered through Section 106 developer contributions, and a further 1,275 through the Early Delivery Programme. This totals 1,670 First Homes altogether. These figures are published in the Live tables on affordable housing supply (Table 1011) which can be found on gov.uk here.

Local authorities are not required to report First Homes delivery separately, so these figures represent the most current data available. Since the removal of the national minimum delivery requirement, local authorities now have discretion over whether to deliver First Homes, and if so, how many. This flexibility allows them to prioritise housing tenures that better meet local needs, such as Social Rent, Affordable Rent and Shared Ownership.

As a result, my Department does not hold data on future delivery and cannot provide an estimate of how many First Homes will be built by 2030. Delivery decisions rest with individual local authorities.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that neighbourhood plans are given due weight in planning decisions.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Neighbourhood Plans which have passed referenda have statutory weight and form part of the development plan.

The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider doing so is in their best interests.

Neighbourhood planning groups have received over £71 million since 2013. This support has created a network of planners and groups who have the skills and expertise to prepare neighbourhood plans and to help other communities to do so.

Local planning authorities have an existing duty under Paragraph 3 of Schedule 4B to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to provide advice and assistance to neighbourhood planning groups. They can also, at their discretion taking into account their constituents’ needs and priorities, provide funding in support of neighbourhood plan preparation.

As of the end of September 2025, the department was aware of c.1850 made neighbourhood plans in England. The Department is aware of 23 neighbourhood plans which have been adopted in Lancashire since 2015, of which 2 were in the Fylde constituency.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many neighbourhood plans have been formally adopted in (a) England, (b) Lancashire and (c) Fylde constituency since 2015.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Neighbourhood Plans which have passed referenda have statutory weight and form part of the development plan.

The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider doing so is in their best interests.

Neighbourhood planning groups have received over £71 million since 2013. This support has created a network of planners and groups who have the skills and expertise to prepare neighbourhood plans and to help other communities to do so.

Local planning authorities have an existing duty under Paragraph 3 of Schedule 4B to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to provide advice and assistance to neighbourhood planning groups. They can also, at their discretion taking into account their constituents’ needs and priorities, provide funding in support of neighbourhood plan preparation.

As of the end of September 2025, the department was aware of c.1850 made neighbourhood plans in England. The Department is aware of 23 neighbourhood plans which have been adopted in Lancashire since 2015, of which 2 were in the Fylde constituency.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what formal powers the Commissioner for the Tenant Farming Sector will have to (a) investigate complaints and (b) enforce the Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Code of Practice.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

As a non-statutory role, the Commissioner will promote and encourage good relations between tenants, landlords, and advisors, and provide a neutral and confidential point of contact for anyone who has concerns that the Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Code of Practice for England is not being followed. Where concerns or issues cannot be resolved the Commissioner will signpost sources of further professional advice as appropriate. The Government is committed to keeping the effectiveness of this approach under review.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what (a) support and (b) resources his Department has provided to (i) parish and (ii) town councils to help support the preparation of neighbourhood plans.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Neighbourhood Plans which have passed referenda have statutory weight and form part of the development plan.

The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider doing so is in their best interests.

Neighbourhood planning groups have received over £71 million since 2013. This support has created a network of planners and groups who have the skills and expertise to prepare neighbourhood plans and to help other communities to do so.

Local planning authorities have an existing duty under Paragraph 3 of Schedule 4B to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to provide advice and assistance to neighbourhood planning groups. They can also, at their discretion taking into account their constituents’ needs and priorities, provide funding in support of neighbourhood plan preparation.

As of the end of September 2025, the department was aware of c.1850 made neighbourhood plans in England. The Department is aware of 23 neighbourhood plans which have been adopted in Lancashire since 2015, of which 2 were in the Fylde constituency.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he will consider introducing a statutory duty for local planning authorities to provide technical assistance to groups preparing neighbourhood plans.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Neighbourhood Plans which have passed referenda have statutory weight and form part of the development plan.

The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider doing so is in their best interests.

Neighbourhood planning groups have received over £71 million since 2013. This support has created a network of planners and groups who have the skills and expertise to prepare neighbourhood plans and to help other communities to do so.

Local planning authorities have an existing duty under Paragraph 3 of Schedule 4B to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to provide advice and assistance to neighbourhood planning groups. They can also, at their discretion taking into account their constituents’ needs and priorities, provide funding in support of neighbourhood plan preparation.

As of the end of September 2025, the department was aware of c.1850 made neighbourhood plans in England. The Department is aware of 23 neighbourhood plans which have been adopted in Lancashire since 2015, of which 2 were in the Fylde constituency.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of people convicted of causing death by dangerous driving who have been charged with subsequent motoring offences.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions for a wide range of offences, including death by dangerous driving in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: December 2024 - GOV.UK.

It is not possible to identify those convicted of dangerous driving who go on to be charged with a subsequent motoring offence without exceeding the disproportionate cost limit. This is because we would need to examine the court records for all those convicted of dangerous driving.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many people have been denied access to social housing waiting lists due to previously unlawfully subletting social housing in the last year.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department does not hold data on the number of people who have been denied access to social housing waiting lists due to previously unlawfully subletting social housing in the last year.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what eligibility criteria local authorities may use for the First Homes scheme; and whether his Department has oversight over those criteria.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Local authorities are required to apply the national eligibility criteria set out in the relevant guidance published on gov.uk here. They may also introduce local eligibility criteria at their discretion. However, any such criteria must be based on local evidence of housing need and should be justifiable and proportionate to local circumstances.

While my Department does not directly approve each local criterion, it maintains oversight through the policy framework, ensuring that local approaches remain consistent with the overall aims of the scheme.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of the £75 million allocated to Great British Energy solar panels will be spent on (a) administrative and (b) consultancy costs.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The GBE Solar Scheme is a jointly funded scheme between GBE and the UK government. £75 million capital spending was allocated to the scheme earlier this month boosting the £180 million joint capital funding by HM Government and GBE, initially launched in March 2025.

For the Department for Education detailed costing information is not yet available but there is expected to be very little if any administrative and consultancy costs within the budget. For the Department for Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Defence all funding will be spent on procurement and installation of solar photovoltaic systems and any complementary technologies where appropriate.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the average house price for first time buyers in Lancashire.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

According to the Land Registry, the average price paid for a home by a first-time buyer was £245,000 in England and £158,000 in Lancashire as at July 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with medical researchers on the development of histotripsy treatments.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Histotripsy is a non-invasive ultrasound treatment that destroys tumours without the need for surgery or radiation. HistoSonics developed the Edison System to deliver histotripsy, and this was one of eight transformative technologies supported through the Government’s Innovative Devices Access Pathway pilot. This programme aimed to streamline patient access to medical devices that address an unmet clinical need in the National Health Service.

In August 2024, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, met with clinicians and researchers at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to discuss their pioneering work in histotripsy research and trials, including the world’s first kidney tumour procedure and the HOPE4LIVER and CAIN studies.

In June 2025, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Baroness Merron) met with clinicians and researchers at Cambridge University Hospitals to announce the conditional use of histotripsy in the NHS for patients with liver tumours. NHS treatments will begin in October 2025 as a first in Europe, strengthening the United Kingdom’s position as a global leader in medical innovation. The Government continues to work closely with clinical and research experts to accelerate evidence generation of this transformative technology.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the news story entitled Chancellor takes on the blockers to get Britain building, published on 15 October 2025, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of proposed judicial review reforms on rights to (a) environmental and (b) community consultation.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Last week the government announced that we will work with the judiciary to take forward further procedural changes to ensure Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) are dealt with more quickly and consistently.

Lord Banner’s independent review into legal challenges against Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (published in October 2024) contains detail and links to statistics requested.

It is standard practice not to comment on the specifics of discussions between ministers and the judiciary.

Finally, members of public will still have the right to pursue judicial review. The Government remains committed to this important principle, and ensuring that local communities can effectively challenge the decisions which impact them. These reforms are about ensuring cases move through the courts more quickly and efficiently, not about limiting the right to challenge decisions.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the news story entitled Chancellor takes on the blockers to get Britain building, published on 15 October 2025, what discussions she has had with the Lord Chief Justice on proposed reductions in judicial review timelines.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Last week the government announced that we will work with the judiciary to take forward further procedural changes to ensure Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) are dealt with more quickly and consistently.

Lord Banner’s independent review into legal challenges against Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (published in October 2024) contains detail and links to statistics requested.

It is standard practice not to comment on the specifics of discussions between ministers and the judiciary.

Finally, members of public will still have the right to pursue judicial review. The Government remains committed to this important principle, and ensuring that local communities can effectively challenge the decisions which impact them. These reforms are about ensuring cases move through the courts more quickly and efficiently, not about limiting the right to challenge decisions.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the news story entitled Chancellor takes on the blockers to get Britain building, published on 15 October 2025, what the 34 infrastructure projects are; and what the (a) outcome and (b) duration was of each judicial review case.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Last week the government announced that we will work with the judiciary to take forward further procedural changes to ensure Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) are dealt with more quickly and consistently.

Lord Banner’s independent review into legal challenges against Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (published in October 2024) contains detail and links to statistics requested.

It is standard practice not to comment on the specifics of discussions between ministers and the judiciary.

Finally, members of public will still have the right to pursue judicial review. The Government remains committed to this important principle, and ensuring that local communities can effectively challenge the decisions which impact them. These reforms are about ensuring cases move through the courts more quickly and efficiently, not about limiting the right to challenge decisions.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what engagement her Department has had with police representative bodies on the introduction of digital ID cards.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Digital ID programme is part of a broader strategy to tackle illegal immigration. By making it harder for people without the right to work to gain employment, the government plans to reduce incentives for unlawful entry.

Mandating digital ID for right to work checks will strengthen our current approach by:

o Acting as a deterrent to would-be migrants hoping to work in the UK illegally.

o Ensuring consistency and simplifying the checks that employers must carry out, making it easier for UK citizens and legal residents to demonstrate they have the right to work.

o Removing the reliance on physical documents in the UK, making it harder for forged documents to be used as proof of right to work.

The Government will start a public consultation on the new digital ID by the end of the year, and has begun engaging with several key stakeholders already. We will continue to engage with a range of organisations over the coming weeks as we prepare the consultation. Police representative bodies will have the opportunity to contribute to the consultation process.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of digital ID cards on illegal immigration.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Digital ID programme is part of a broader strategy to tackle illegal immigration. By making it harder for people without the right to work to gain employment, the government plans to reduce incentives for unlawful entry.

Mandating digital ID for right to work checks will strengthen our current approach by:

o Acting as a deterrent to would-be migrants hoping to work in the UK illegally.

o Ensuring consistency and simplifying the checks that employers must carry out, making it easier for UK citizens and legal residents to demonstrate they have the right to work.

o Removing the reliance on physical documents in the UK, making it harder for forged documents to be used as proof of right to work.

The Government will start a public consultation on the new digital ID by the end of the year, and has begun engaging with several key stakeholders already. We will continue to engage with a range of organisations over the coming weeks as we prepare the consultation. Police representative bodies will have the opportunity to contribute to the consultation process.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Fair Work Charter provisions will be statutory.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Further details on the potential implementation of a Fair Work Charter will be included in the government’s response to the consultation on reforms to the Clean Industry Bonus ahead of Allocation Round 8. The Clean Energy Superpower Mission will create opportunities for good, secure, skilled jobs. Government has recently published its full approach to delivering good quality jobs in the Clean Energy Jobs Plan.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions his Department has had with the Competition and Markets Authority on the provision of consumer information to users of (a) Ticketmaster and (b) similar ticket platforms.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is the UK’s independent competition authority and is independent of government. The department holds regular discussions with the CMA on consumer issues, including as part of its consultation on ticket resale and call for evidence on pricing practices for live events.

The CMA is subject to statutory rules around the disclosure of information about individual companies. Following the conclusion of the investigation and public announcement, the department has discussed the outcome and undertakings secured from Ticketmaster with the CMA. Further information about this case is published on the CMA’s website.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of levels of immigration on patterns of social cohesion.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office will increase existing English language requirements for economic migrants and introduce new English language requirements for dependants of those coming under economic routes.

These measures support the integration of those coming here to work here (and their families) into UK communities, as well; as ensuring that those coming to work here are less vulnerable to abuse and exploitation in the workplace.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what policies are in place to review or revoke asylum status in cases where the individual travels to their home country after being granted asylum in the UK.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those who genuinely need it, for as long as it is needed, in accordance with our international obligations.

However, if there is any evidence to suggest that an individual who has been recognised as a refugee has returned to their home country, the circumstances will be investigated, and refugee status may be revoked.

If someone returns to their home country, this will usually indicate ‘voluntary re-availment’ and may lead to revocation of refugee status under paragraph 339A(i)-(vi) or humanitarian protection under paragraph 339GA of the Immigration Rules.

All cases are considered on a case-by-case basis and protection status will only be revoked in these circumstances where there is no protection need on any grounds.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether any sanctions will apply to young people who decline a work placement under the Youth Guarantee scheme.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP is committed to supporting young people to earn and learn. The department provides an extensive range of support for young people, tailored to individual needs.

As part of this the Chancellor has announced that DWP will offer a guaranteed job to young people on Universal Credit, who are unemployed for over 18 months. Our aim is to stop long-term unemployment for young people by subsidising a paid work placement so that they can develop their skills and gain valuable work experience. More details on this will be announced at the budget, including whether young people who turn down a suitable job offer could be subject to a sanction.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has commissioned research on the incidence of postural tachycardia syndrome in patients with long covid.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring waiting lists and times down. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard, that 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029.

Additionally, the shifts outlined in our 10-Year Health Plan will free up hospital-based consultants’ time by shifting care from hospitals to communities, utilising digital technology to reduce administrative burdens, and promoting prevention to reduce the onset and severity of conditions that lead to hospital admissions. This includes expanding community-based services, employing artificial intelligence for productivity, developing integrated neighbourhood health teams, and investing in digital tools and data. These shifts will allow specialists to focus on more complex cases of postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), enabling earlier identification and management, and improved patient outcomes.

The Department funds health and care research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR has supported a broad portfolio of research into long COVID, including understanding the links between long COVID and PoTS. The £3.35 million LOng COvid Multidisciplinary consortium: Optimising Treatments and servIces acrOss the NHS, or LOCOMOTION, study confirmed that people with long COVID are more likely than others to have orthostatic intolerance, and that these problems are relatively common.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were reported missing in each of the last five years.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office does not hold this data centrally.

Information about current missing persons incidents is held by individual police forces. The National Crime Agency’s UK Missing Persons Unit holds the national database for all missing incidents that are unresolved after 72hours, allowing the police to have access to missing persons information across force boundaries. In addition, annual missing persons statistics, broken down to police force level, are published by the National Crime Agency’s Missing Person’s Unit in its annual data report which can be found here: Downloads - National Crime Agency

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support is available through the NHS for patients with postural tachycardia syndrome requiring (a) ongoing management and (b) rehabilitation.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring waiting lists and times down. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard, that 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029.

Additionally, the shifts outlined in our 10-Year Health Plan will free up hospital-based consultants’ time by shifting care from hospitals to communities, utilising digital technology to reduce administrative burdens, and promoting prevention to reduce the onset and severity of conditions that lead to hospital admissions. This includes expanding community-based services, employing artificial intelligence for productivity, developing integrated neighbourhood health teams, and investing in digital tools and data. These shifts will allow specialists to focus on more complex cases of postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), enabling earlier identification and management, and improved patient outcomes.

The Department funds health and care research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR has supported a broad portfolio of research into long COVID, including understanding the links between long COVID and PoTS. The £3.35 million LOng COvid Multidisciplinary consortium: Optimising Treatments and servIces acrOss the NHS, or LOCOMOTION, study confirmed that people with long COVID are more likely than others to have orthostatic intolerance, and that these problems are relatively common.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve early diagnosis rates for postural tachycardia syndrome.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring waiting lists and times down. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard, that 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029.

Additionally, the shifts outlined in our 10-Year Health Plan will free up hospital-based consultants’ time by shifting care from hospitals to communities, utilising digital technology to reduce administrative burdens, and promoting prevention to reduce the onset and severity of conditions that lead to hospital admissions. This includes expanding community-based services, employing artificial intelligence for productivity, developing integrated neighbourhood health teams, and investing in digital tools and data. These shifts will allow specialists to focus on more complex cases of postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), enabling earlier identification and management, and improved patient outcomes.

The Department funds health and care research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR has supported a broad portfolio of research into long COVID, including understanding the links between long COVID and PoTS. The £3.35 million LOng COvid Multidisciplinary consortium: Optimising Treatments and servIces acrOss the NHS, or LOCOMOTION, study confirmed that people with long COVID are more likely than others to have orthostatic intolerance, and that these problems are relatively common.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many local (a) suppliers and (b) contractors have been engaged in the delivery of the (i) single living accommodation and (ii) solar projects at Weeton Barracks.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

New Single Living Accommodation (SLA) at Weeton Barracks is currently being delivered through the Ministry of Defence’ Future Defence Infrastructure Services contractor, VIVO.

VIVO as the principal contractor, engages with sub-contractors who need to demonstrate how they will meet social value criteria including tackling economic inequality, tackling workforce inequality, and utilising support from local Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, where appropriate.

For the Weeton project, the workforce for the on-site construction was drawn from the local area to support employment and the local economy.

Contractor Mitie were appointed to deliver the solar project at Weeton Barracks. Mitie’s policy for sourcing local suppliers and contractors is driven by commitment to sustainability and social value, aiming to increase supply chain resilience and local economic support.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what comparative assessment he has made of the (a) design, (b) sustainability and (c) cost per bedspace of the single living accommodation under construction at (i) Weeton Barracks and (ii) other recently built single living accommodation across the Army estate.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Weeton Barracks is in the first wave of the Army’s Single Living Accommodation (SLA) upgrade programmes since the Single Living Accommodation Management (SLAM) Programme completed in 2017. The building complies with the Government’s Net Zero Carbon Strategy, the UK Infrastructure 10-Year Strategy and tackles the recommendations of the National Audit Office Report: Improving Single Living Accommodation February 2021.

Cost efficiency is a key driver of Defence’s procurement strategy for the SLA programme, and all tenders are reviewed, benchmarked and assured against market data to ensure value for money is delivered to meet the performance specifications.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of military families who will be affected by the Forces First approach in each of the next three years.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Forces First approach will mean more Service personnel have access to the high-quality homes and home-ownership opportunities they deserve and will form part of the upcoming Defence Housing Strategy. This approach will be applied by agreement with local authorities and development partners on a site-by-site basis, so it is not possible to currently estimate the number of military families who will benefit in future years.

A trailblazer for this approach is already underway at Ministry of Defence (MOD) Feltham in South-West London, where the MOD, the London Borough of Hounslow and the Greater London Authority have agreed to adopt a Forces First approach as part of a groundbreaking partnership to develop the site. Once vacated, this new development alone is expected to deliver hundreds of homes and jobs.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled Military families and veterans prioritised in ‘forces first’ housing scheme, published on 29 September 2025, whether the planned 100,000 homes on surplus land will be in addition to existing Government housebuilding targets.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Defence Secretary has identified the long-term potential for 100,000 homes on Ministry of Defence (MOD) surplus land, demonstrating the opportunity for MOD to contribute to the Government’s important housebuilding ambitions. A new approach to realising this opportunity will be set out in the Defence Housing Strategy later this year.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what mechanisms will evaluate the Pride in Place programme at the local level.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This government is committed to taking a comprehensive approach to evaluating the Pride in Place Programme, including the impacts felt by funded communities. We will publish an Outcomes and Evaluation strategy in due course, which will set out more detail on what the evaluation will include.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure that British Sign Language is taught in schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government is committed to promoting inclusive education and welcomes the teaching of British Sign Language (BSL) in schools. Schools may choose to offer BSL as part of their school curriculum, or as an extracurricular activity.

Following the British Sign Language Act 2022, BSL was formally recognised as a language. In line with this, the department has worked closely with stakeholders to develop a GCSE in BSL. The final subject content was published on GOV.UK in December 2023. As is the usual process for introducing a qualification, Ofqual conducted a public consultation on its proposed assessment arrangements in spring 2025. Ofqual expects to confirm its decisions on the qualification rules this autumn. Exam boards will then be able to develop detailed specifications which will form the basis of course content to be taught in schools and colleges.

To support delivery, the department recognises the importance of a skilled teaching workforce. We are engaging stakeholders, including school leaders and BSL organisations, to consider how to support workforce development.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 22 September 2025 to Question 73115 on HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Data Protection, whether her Department will commission an independent review to verify that there has been no impact on case outcomes to date.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has expanded its checks using new digital tools to analyse the full period affected – covering around 700,000 cases – to determine whether any were impacted and to what extent. Based on the first phase of this additional assurance work, which reviewed a sample of 455 potentially affected cases, one has been found to be missing a document where the judge has confirmed it could have affected the case outcome. The parties involved have been contacted directly and offered the opportunity to request that the decision be set aside and the case reheard. As the assurance work continues, HMCTS will contact any additional parties whose case outcomes may have been affected.

The CEO of HMCTS will write to the Justice Select Committee once the assurance process concludes, setting out the total number of affected cases, parties contacted, and outcome of any follow-up action.

The Department remains committed to transparency and to safeguarding the integrity of judicial decision-making. Since the response provided on 22 September 2025, the Ministry of Justice has been conducting an internal assessment of the HMCTS Core Case Data issue.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with Ofcom on the potential impact of its Passive Infrastructure Access pricing model on the economic viability of rural gigabit-capable broadband network builds.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for making regulatory decisions in the fixed telecoms sector, including on the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product.

For this reason, while my officials are engaging with Ofcom on this issue, the Department has not made any specific assessment of the merits of introducing fiscal incentives to reduce how much rural operators pay for PIA.

My officials are regularly engaging with Ofcom to ensure that we have the right regulatory environment in place to promote competition and investment in the fibre roll-out.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 22 September 2025 to Question 73118 on Social Security and Child Support Tribunal: ICT, whether her Department has undertaken retrospective sampling of closed cases to assess for undetected outcome-affecting errors arising from the IT failure.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has expanded its checks using new digital tools to analyse the full period affected – covering around 700,000 cases – to determine whether any were impacted and to what extent. Based on the first phase of this additional assurance work, which reviewed a sample of 455 potentially affected cases, one has been found to be missing a document where the judge has confirmed it could have affected the case outcome. The parties involved have been contacted directly and offered the opportunity to request that the decision be set aside and the case reheard. As the assurance work continues, HMCTS will contact any additional parties whose case outcomes may have been affected.

The CEO of HMCTS will write to the Justice Select Committee once the assurance process concludes, setting out the total number of affected cases, parties contacted, and outcome of any follow-up action.

The Department remains committed to transparency and to safeguarding the integrity of judicial decision-making. Since the response provided on 22 September 2025, the Ministry of Justice has been conducting an internal assessment of the HMCTS Core Case Data issue.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 22 September 2025 to Question 73120 on HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Data Protection, how many people whose cases may have been affected have (a) been identified and (b) been notified and (c) have yet to be contacted.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has expanded its checks using new digital tools to analyse the full period affected – covering around 700,000 cases – to determine whether any were impacted and to what extent. Based on the first phase of this additional assurance work, which reviewed a sample of 455 potentially affected cases, one has been found to be missing a document where the judge has confirmed it could have affected the case outcome. The parties involved have been contacted directly and offered the opportunity to request that the decision be set aside and the case reheard. As the assurance work continues, HMCTS will contact any additional parties whose case outcomes may have been affected.

The CEO of HMCTS will write to the Justice Select Committee once the assurance process concludes, setting out the total number of affected cases, parties contacted, and outcome of any follow-up action.

The Department remains committed to transparency and to safeguarding the integrity of judicial decision-making. Since the response provided on 22 September 2025, the Ministry of Justice has been conducting an internal assessment of the HMCTS Core Case Data issue.

National inquiry into group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse